Royal Navy's new frigate won't break down in hot water says minister

That’s the promise given by defence minister Philip Dunne about the new Type 26 Global Combat Ship.

It comes after MPs were told that the nation’s £1bn-a-ship Type 45s had broken down in the Gulf because the water was ‘too hot’.

In a written question to the minister, who is in charge of securing and delivering the nation’s new defence assets, Portsmouth South MP Flick Drummond called for ‘reassurance’ that the engine woes faced by the Type 45s would not hinder the navy’s new frigates.

Responding, Mr Dunne said: ‘The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be designed for joint and multinational operations from the tropics and Arabian Gulf in the summer to the sub-Arctic.

‘The ship’s design will accommodate a broad range of environmental conditions to deliver a globally deployable ship throughout its planned life.’

The Type 26 is due to replace the navy’s aging fleet of 13 Type 23 frigates – six of which are based in Portsmouth.

Production on the new warships was due to begin later this year.

However, this has been postponed until early 2018.